


D&D Shenanigans

by GreenGroove



Category: The Royal Romance (Visual Novel)
Genre: Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, Gen, friendship fic, smidge of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:15:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22196146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenGroove/pseuds/GreenGroove
Summary: Riley Brooks tries her hand at DMing a campaign of Dungeons & Dragons in this TRR college AU one-shot.
Kudos: 3





	D&D Shenanigans

**Author's Note:**

> This is something I made for a Choices Secret Santa.

In her third year at Hartfeld University, Riley Brooks found herself in a situation she had no reasonable ability to have foreseen: swept into the already-tight clique of three study abroad students from the Mediterranian country of Cordonia. College had been a much more enjoyable experience with the new friends she had made: Maxwell, Liam, and Olivia. The three study abroad students had a childhood friend in a student Riley found to be a tough nut to crack, Drake. To Riley, he was a bit closed-off, like Olivia, but with ten times the stoicism.   
  
The latest addition to the group, a shy musician by the name of Hana, was a sight for sore eyes. She seemed the busiest out of the group, but was also, by far, the sweetest.   
  
Along with Maxwell and Liam, Riley started getting into playing a tabletop role-playing game,  _ Dungeons & Dragons _ . Every Saturday, the three would take turns running a one-shot campaign; to her surprise, she found herself quite liking being in the driver’s seat. Drake would sometimes join, but was less than enthusiastic to cut his teeth as a DM.    
  
It was a brisk Saturday afternoon when Liam sent out a group-wide message: a request for everyone to join him on the 2nd floor of the library. Maxwell and Riley helped him secure a table and began the process of unloading official books and blank character sheets, notebooks, and pencils. Winter break was hot on their heels, and Riley was determined to try and get the entire group involved in a campaign before they had to part ways. She had been working up the courage to flesh out a story that would span over the course of several sessions, and it was Liam’s message that set the plan into motion.   
  
Hana was the first to arrive, with Drake trailing a few minutes behind her.   
  
“Well,” Hana started, bashful. “I’m only taking 29 credits this semester, so I have time to squeeze in something new!”   
  
Slack-jawed, the others stared at her.    
  
“...What?”   
  
Maxwell pounded on the library table, rattling the pencils atop it, exuding pure excitement. Several nearby students, disturbed from their work, stared daggers at him.   
  
“ _ Yes _ ! Recruitment was a success!” he nearly yelled, standing with both fists pumped into the air. After being nudged by Liam, he sat back down with a determined expression. “Have you made a character before?”   
  
Hana shook her head. “I haven’t even  _ played _ before!” Pause. “Do I need to buy a deck? Or a gameboard?”    
  
“Okay, even  _ I _ know you don’t need a  _ deck _ to play D&D,” came a voice from behind.   
  
“Olivia!” Liam called out, shock apparent. “How long were you…?”   
  
She waved a dismissive hand and cut him off, “Mind your business.” One person took offense to Olivia’s smug demeanor.    
  
“Have I mentioned how creepy it is when you do that?” Drake asked, watching her as she gracefully sat side-saddle on the chair next to Liam. She shrugged, studying the papers scattered across the table.    
  
“So, what was I summoned here for?” she asked. Liam switched gears and offered a friendly smile.   
  
“We’re making plans to start playing D&D as a group. Do you want to join?”    
  
Olivia pursed her lips, looking between Hana and Maxwell. “Are these two going to be playing?” she asked, gesturing to them.   
  
“We sure are!” Maxwell almost-yelled, again, prompting another nudge from Liam. He then spoke in hushed tones, “We could always use more people. Hana’s gonna be new; you haven’t played either, right?”   
  
She shook her head, giving him a look of scorn. “What do you take me for, some sort of nerd?”   
  
Unphased by the insult, Liam kept up his smile. “Whatever you take yourself for, we’d love to have you. First games are always special.”   
  
Maxwell jumped in, “Yeah! And I got a  _ bunch _ of the official books on loan from this guy in my class, Chris.”   
  
“Have you talked about him before? He sounds familiar…” Liam muttered, face scrunched in concentration. He glanced around the library, as if scanning the room for that specific Chris.   
  
“Oh, you know, Powell? Football guy?” Maxwell waved his hand, trying to sound casual. “Met him at the 3D Printing Club, actually. Said he’d let me borrow the club’s supply of manuals for the day. He’s pretty cool!”   
  
Having spent the last few minutes stuck in thought, Olivia turned in her seat to properly face them.   
  
“Alright, I’m in.”   
  
Maxwell’s final boisterous cheer got them kicked out of the library.  
  


* * *

  
A few days later, they met once more in-person to discuss the basics of what to expect from the game and solidify their ideas for characters. It was a several-hour process, with many questions from Hana and equally as many incorrect assumptions from Maxwell. Riley made sure she was as involved as possible in helping the new players (and Maxwell) navigate the process, grateful for help from Drake and Liam.   
  
“Okay, so we’re gonna be starting at level 3, which means…”   
  
As Liam pointed at a blank character sheet to explain the basics to Hana and Olivia, Drake turned to Maxwell with a look of confusion.   
  
“Maxwell, didn’t… didn’t we  _ play _ together?” Drake asked with a raised eyebrow. His gaze flicked between Maxwell and the mostly-blank character sheet he was ‘filling out.’ “Y’know, when we were kids? And, also like, last month?”   
  
“A month? That was definitely a few editions ago,” came Riley’s flat response. She twirled a pencil absent-mindedly as Maxwell responded.   
  
“I think Liam created my character for me all those times, actually.”   
  
Drake and Olivia locked eyes, then shrugged in a mutual understanding of ‘ _ yeah, that sounds about right _ ’. Riley caught the look and snickered, alongside Liam.   
  
“More importantly, what in the absolute  _ hell _ is this?” Olivia held up one of the books, pointing to a picture of a cat-like humanoid. Riley leaned forward, squinting.    
  
“Oh! That’s a ‘tabaxi’ - it’s one of the non-standard races. Since we’re not enforcing any strict rules on races or classes, it’s technically an option for your character.”   
  
“Perfect, I’ll be that.”   
  
“Do you… know what it is?”   
  
“No.”   
  
Most everyone left the get-together with at least a rough idea of their character’s race and class sketched-in. Riley answered any remaining questions one-on-one, getting them up until the day of their first session.  
  


* * *

  
The door to Maxwell’s suite flew open with enough force for it to bounce off of the adjacent wall. Before the momentum caused the door to shut, Maxwell leapt through the threshold with a spin and struck a triumphant pose.   
  
“Welcome to my humble abode!”   
  
“Maxwell, we live together,” Liam said with a small smile, hanging his coat on the coat-rack. As soon as she stepped through the doorway, Olivia made a show of grimacing at near-everything she saw.    
  
“This is…  _ quaint _ .”    
  
She sauntered around the common area, commenting here and there on the quality of movies, accessories, and decorations.   
  
An insistent knocking cut through, prompting Liam to answer the door. As he did, he was nearly bowled over by a frantic Hana, arms holding several tins stacked up to her chin.   
  
“ _ HisorryI’msolate _ ! I was accompanying for a studio class and it went  _ long _ and--”   
  
Maxwell held up a hand. “You’re actually…” He glanced at his watch and raised his eyebrows. “...Ten minutes early?”   
  
With some shuffling, Hana offloaded the stack of tins onto an unused table in the common area. She started placing the tins methodically with the same nervous energy she had been channeling since she arrived.   
  
Liam and Maxwell took seats at the table while Olivia lingered at the kitchenette.    
  
“You’ve got cheap tastes,” she called out, tone derisive. Not knowing what she was referring to, but full-well knowing it could be about anything she laid eyes on, Maxwell rolled his eyes but kept his tone amicable.   
  
“You gonna stop snooping and join us?” He heard a huff, but it worked in summoning her to the table.   
  
“What’s Snow White here doing?” Olivia asked, gesturing to Hana. Her attempt to get under Hana’s skin seemed to bounce right off of Hana’s sunny disposition as she perked up.   
  
“I baked everyone cookies before rehearsal; I’m sorry they’re not warm, I hope that’s okay!”

Liam smiled a gentle, sincere smile. “Hana, that’s incredibly thoughtful of you,” he said, getting up to move towards the kitchenette. “Thank you so much.” He came back with plates and napkins and passed them out to everyone.   
  
Hana continued, relief evident in her posture, “I also managed to get all of the books!”   
  
“Are you serious?” Olivia asked, her inflection deadpan. Hana nodded vigorously.   
  
“Yeah! I did all the reading I could in-between classes and rehearsals and studying!” she said, excitement bounding off of her in waves. “Did you know how much  _ stuff _ there is? I only got through half!”   
  
The others stared at her, causing her eyes to widen in momentary panic.    
  
“...Is that okay? I promise I’ll be more prepared next time!”   
  
While Liam soothed Hana’s worries, Maxwell checked his watch after stuffing a cookie in his mouth. “Anyone hear from Riley? Or Drake?” he asked, flecking crumbs as he spoke. Liam frowned, a flash of quiet concern on his face as he shook his head.    
  
“No. I can text them, though.”   
  
Some time passed in increasingly tense silence.   
  
“Do you think they’re lost?” Hana asked, doing her best to retain dainty composure while ravenously tucking into a few cookies. Noticing Olivia was staring at her, she shrugged with a sheepish smile. “Didn’t eat dinner…”   
  
Liam hummed as he shot off a text into their group chat. “Drake wouldn’t get lost; he’s been here enough times…”   
  
**bam-bam-bam**   
  
“Fimawy!” Maxwell exclaimed with his mouth full, shooting up from his seat to answer the door. Drake entered, immediately shrugging off his jacket and tossing it onto the closest piece of furniture.   
  
“What? I’m on time,” Drake said, eager to defend himself against the accusatory look Olivia gave him. “I even found this one,” he concluded, gesturing to Riley trailing behind him.    
  
“Our esteemed DM.” Maxwell made a flourish with his arms and bowed in front of her while Drake rolled his eyes and took his seat at the table. “I’m  _ honoured _ you grace my humble suite with your presence.”    
  
Riley put a hand to her mouth and chuckled. “For this session, at least.”   
  
“Yes, welcome to our  _ humble abode _ ,” Liam called out, teasing grin on his face. “Make yourself at home - Hana made cookies.”   
  
As if being summoned, Hana perked up. “I hope you like them! I didn’t know if you guys had any allergies so I made sure to make all sorts of batches just to be safe: one without dairy, one without soy, one without nuts... And this one here is--”   
  
“ _ Alright _ , Miss Sunshine, that’s enough,” Olivia interjected, patience wearing thin. “Are we going to get this show on the road, or not?”   
  
Riley took her seat, taking care to properly set up her DM screen around her notes. “Just about, Olivia. The setting is simple: you’re going to be starting at a local tavern in a small town; it will be a fairly quiet atmosphere, so everyone will have a better chance to stand out. Why don’t you guys go around and explain what your characters look like?”   
  
Hana stared, the roleplay-equivalent of stage fright setting in. “Like, in the game?” Her eyes widened as a thought hit her. “Oh no, I didn’t fully conceptualize my character’s appearance!”   
  
Without looking up, Riley soothed, “That’s fine, Hana. Just tell us what the others would see when they’d come across your character. It doesn’t have to be  _ everything _ , just some notable features.” She signified she was ready to start by looking up, expectantly.   
  
“O-okay, well. This is my first time playing,” Hana said, working to shake off some nerves. “And, uhh, my character’s name is Charity.”   
  
“Of course it is,” Olivia muttered, earning a look from Liam. If Hana heard her, she didn’t pay it any mind.   
  
Hana fiddled with a napkin as she concentrated on the filled-up character sheet in front of her. “Uh...”   
  
“You don’t have to tell us everything on the page,” Liam spoke gently, also attempting to soothe her. “If you want to, you can keep everything a secret and just play out their traits as we go along.”   
  
He locked eyes with her, attempting to transfer some comfort in their shared moment. It seemed to work as she nodded, resolute.    
  
“Okay, well, I talked with Riley one-on-one, who approved some ideas I had. Charity is a Water Genasi and a--”   
  
“Excuse me?” Drake interrupted, bewildered.    
  
Hana quickly rifled through  _ Volibear’s Monster Guide  _ and opened to a dog-eared page. “Here! I guess they’re not part of the main game?”    
  
Drake took the book and skimmed over the page, eyebrows raised. “Huh, never heard of ‘em before.” He closed the book and returned it to her.   
  
“They’re really cool! They’re like… elementals? I always loved stories about elemental masters.” Hana smiled, wistful. “Anyway! Uh, you see an old woman with a  _ big _ robe and hat, carrying an old, dusty book and a gnarled staff. She’s a Wizard.”   
  
“Fascinating.”    
  
Riley cast a glare at Olivia and kept her voice even in an attempt to mask her annoyance, “Uhh. Hey, Olivia, why don’t you go next?”   
  
Sitting forward with an air of ‘ _ finally, someone recognizes my worth at this godforsaken table _ ,’ Olivia donned the smuggest smile she could muster.    
  
“You see a character with a black cloak, form-fitting black clothes underneath. A drawn hood masks their face.”   
  
The others blinked, unsure whether to press for more info or not.    
  
“Is… that it?” Drake asked, brows furrowed as he studied Olivia’s smug demeanor with distaste. A predatory grin plastered across her face in response.   
  
“We gotta know what to call your character,” Maxwell brought up. He rocked back in his chair, balancing on its two back legs. “Do we get a name, at least?”   
  
“Thannis.”    
  
An awkward silence hung over the table. Drake mouthed another ‘ _ that’s it? _ ’ to Liam, who shrugged. Riley nodded, the only other person besides Olivia not surprised.    
  
“Okay, good. Drake?”   
  
He tapped a pen against his partially-filled-out character sheet, a frustrated grunt coming out of him.    
  
“Is that your character’s name?” Maxwell asked, throwing himself forward to ground the chair with a grin on his face. “ _ Grunt _ ?”    
  
The others snickered, causing Drake to screw his face up in disgust. “No!” he raised his voice, indignant, wanting to shut everyone up as fast as possible. “He  _ has _ a name, he… It’s…”    
  
“Grunt.  _ No _ , Grunts!”    
  
The others laughed, again. Drake’s face turned a shade of red as he donned a pout.   
  
“Whatever.”   
  
Riley had to stifle a giggle. “Is there anything the others would notice about your cha--uh,  _ Grunts _ ?”    
  
“He’s a big, muscley guy; green. Looks like a Half-Orc, is definitely a Barbarian. Carries a big axe.”   
  
“Nice wish fulfillment,” Olivia cut in with a snide smirk. Drake returned fire with an unfriendly gesture of his own, which prompted a humourless chuckle out of her. “Oho! Walker’s got some moxy.”   
  
“Olivia,” Riley warned. “Feel free to get a room  _ after _ the session.” She carried the satisfaction of shutting Olivia down as Maxwell started.   
  
“Okay! Well, my guy’s a Bard,” he explained, becoming more animated as he carried on. “His name is  _ Spanky _ , Spanky the Danciest, and he’s got all eyes on the ladies.” Shameless finger guns were whipped out, which prompted a sigh out of most of the group.    
  
“He’s an elf -- one of those High Elves, but not a jerk about it like the rest --, and  _ super _ tall. He’s got, like, six different instruments strapped to him for  _ easy serenading access, 24/7 _ .”   
  
Riley couldn’t help but smile. She hadn’t known him for too long, but his goofiness was endearing to her.    
  
Noticing Maxwell was done, as he sat back in his chair with a self-satisfied grin, Liam straightened in his seat.   
  
“It seems it’s my turn. I have a Human Paladin: Horam Antonius. He’s got a religious pendant around his neck, scar on his cheek, and a smile in his heart.”   
  
Olivia twitched. “ _ What _ was this guy’s name, again?”    
  
“Horam Antonius,” Liam repeated, shocked at the disgust on her face. “Why?”    
  
She crossed her arms and scowled. “I… don’t know. Something about the name  _ Anton _ just… pisses me off.” Liam hummed in consideration.   
  
“I see. His last name is Anton _ ius _ , though, which hopefully draws less ire.” He smiled at her, causing her hard expression to soften. She returned his smile with a nod.   
  
“Right, thank you for your introductions,” Riley said, with a strong, authoritative tone. “Let’s get this story started, shall we?”   
  
She cleared her throat and began to spin the tale:  _ Within the quiet of Shingus Village, you found yourselves in Orelane Tavern. Besides your group and the lone bartender, the tavern is devoid of patrons. _   
  
“Wait, did we already introduce ourselves in-character?” Drake asked with a hint of dread in his voice. He looked between the group and Riley. After taking a moment to consider the question, Riley shrugged.   
  
“If you want to, we can skip that part and just say you’re all formally acquainted.”   
  
Drake breathed a too-obvious sigh of relief, which was met by playful jeers from Maxwell.    
  
“Hey, c’mon, we’re not  _ that _ bad!”   
  
“Formal introductions? Eesh, my worst nightmare…” Drake grumbled, shuddering at the horror of having to introduce himself and carry on small talk for any length of time.    
  
Not receiving any dissenting opinions, Riley continued on:   
  
_ After silently sizing each other up, eventually, the ice was broken and you had taken the time to introduce yourselves to one another. As you performed the agonizing task of small talk, a loud commotion outside cut you off! It sounded like yelling from several people, and… barking? _   
  
“Ooh, ooh!” Maxwell ooh-ed, raising his hand excitedly. “I want to investigate!”   
  
Riley blinked. “Like… as a roll?”   
  
Maxwell frowned and opened his mouth to say something. Drake tapped on the skill section his character sheet, which caused Maxwell’s brows to shoot up in understanding.   
  
“Ohhh! No, I just wanna see what’s up. Can I?”   
  
Riley nodded, then asked, “Do the rest of you follow Spanky?”    
  
Liam made a note to congratulate her afterwards for saying the name ‘Spanky’ in-context without laughing.   
  
With a unanimous ‘ _ yes _ ,’ Riley continued:   
  
_ You all ran outside, greeted with a frantically barking dog -- a corgi. A small crowd has gathered around it; unease fills the air as you hear people muttering ‘what do we do?’ to themselves. _   
  
“Ooh!  _ Ooh! _ ”   
  
“...Yes? You don’t have to keep raising your hand, Maxwell.”   
  
“Can I  _ pet this dog _ ?” Maxwell’s eyes grew, seeming to sparkle at the idea. Riley paused a moment.   
  
“You can try.”   
  
“Yes, I would also like to pet this dog,” Hana added with a grin. Taking Maxwell’s cue, she had tentatively raised her own hand.   
  
With a clatter of unseen dice, Riley said, “Both of you, roll Persuasion.”   
  
Cookie firmly implanted into mouth, Hana rolled the d20… off the table. She nearly leapt out of her seat, yelling the number face-up as soon as she was able: a 16. Maxwell groaned at his natural 1, eyeing Hana with roleplay-envy.   
  
“Don’t forget your modifiers,” Liam reminded them, causing both of them to ‘ _ oh, right! _ ’ and check their character sheets.   
  
“19.”   
  
“ _ 5 _ ,” Maxwell groaned. Any missed opportunity to pet a dog was mildly soul-crushing.   
  
_ Spanky, the corgi attempted to bite at you, clearly worked-up. Your sleeve was the only victim, a noticeable hunk of fabric having been torn right off. However, Charity, you managed to sneak in a good pet while the corgi was preoccupied by staving off Spanky. _   
  
Drake spoke up with a strong Southern accent, prompting the rest of the group to wordlessly decide to stay in-character.   
  
_ “It’s not often a pup like this comes ‘round,” Grunts explained, kneeling to inspect the corgi. Horam joined him in a crouch, pointing at something hanging around its neck. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Look! It has something! Should we read it?” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Thanks to Charity’s success at calming the dog down, it hardly noticed you slip off what looks to be a scroll on a string. You noticed the scroll is a spell: Speak With Animals. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Psh, I ain’t need a scroll for this.” Grunts rolled his eyes, holding up the scroll to anyone who wanted it. Thannis stepped forward and snatched it out of his hand, causing the scroll to disappear in a blue, sparkling mist, covering everybody in the party. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “You,” Thannis barks out. They level themself to the dog’s eyeline, pointing directly at it. “Speak.” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ No longer distracted by Charity’s objectively good pettings, the dog’s barks turned into a rushed, anxious talking in a language everyone is able to understand: Common.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “--ank goodness, one of you figured it out! Y-yes, yes, please help me!” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Thannis crossed their arms, shifting their weight. They spoke as they twirled two daggers in one hand, skepticism clear in their voice, “Why should we?--” _   
  
“Olivia,” Drake blurted out, dropping his accent. He looked to Olivia and noticed she had her arms crossed in the same way she described for her character, but with less daggers.   
  
“What?”   
  
“Shouldn’t we… y’know, help this guy?” He gestured to Riley, as if she was the physical manifestation of every NPC. Hana looked to Riley with a searching gaze, wondering if her role in intra-party conflicts was similar to that of a judge in a court. Liam placed a friendly hand on Drake’s shoulder, then smiled patiently at Olivia.   
  
“C’mon, humour us. Let’s see what he has to say.”   
  
With a dramatic eye-roll, Olivia huffed her relentment.    
  
“Fine.”   
  
_ Thannis cleared their throat, pocketing one of the daggers. “Excuse me. Why  _ **_shouldn’t_ ** _ we help you?” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ With some trepidation, the corgi glanced at the ever-spinning dagger in Thannis’ hand. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “That is the question of someone wise. I beg you: hear my plea!” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ A gentle smile crossed Horam’s face; he spoke with a booming bravado, “Of course we will, traveler! What is your name?” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “My name is Brufus, I thank you, all of you,” the corgi bowed, voice shaking slightly. A hand started to hover closeby, causing the corgi to snap at it once more. “S-sorry. Reflex. Not all hands have been kind to me.” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Spanky’s face fell; he dropped his arm. “I’m sorry to hear that,” he muttered. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “L-listen, I don’t know how much longer you’ll be able to understand me, so I’ll make this quick: I was abducted! By this evil Gnomish militia, just a ways up north! They transformed me out of cruelty,” came his impassioned explanation. With a quieter voice, he continued, “I was only trying to deliver manuscripts to my professor when it happened! I-I just… want my body back.” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Worry not, Brufus! We are going to restore your likeness!” Horam boomed, impossibly loud. Some of the recently-gathered villagers took a step back, partially from the noise and partially because you’re all carrying on a conversation with a dog. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “I know I’m not the only person who’s been terrorized. Please, stop them!” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Charity ruffled the corgi’s fur, causing one of his hind legs to twitch. She smiled sympathetically. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Of course we will! Just give us directions to the nearest… uh. Gnome… camp...?” _ _   
_ _   
_ Hana faltered, face red with embarrassment. “Sorry, I don’t…”   
  
Maxwell and Liam both gave her encouraging nods.    
  
“You’re doing fine, Hana,” Liam soothed. She gathered up her momentarily broken courage and tried again:   
  
_ ”Lead us to our destination, noble Brufus!” Charity rang out, bravado echoing off of her as she pointed in a direction. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ The corgi nodded in the opposite direction, toward a forested area with a path cutting through. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “It’s not too terribly far from here. Oh, I hate to be such a bother…” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “You should be,” Thannis mumbled, before getting Horam’s elbow to the ribs. _   
  
“If you don’t want him to hear you, I’m gonna need you to roll Deception for that,” Riley announced, unseen die hitting the table on her side of the screen.    
  
Olivia raised an eyebrow.    
  
“... _ Seriously? _ ”    
  
“Or you fail the check automatically. Your call.”   
  
Something about Riley’s inflection was  _ too _ blasé to go unchallenged. Olivia sat up in her seat and hastily grabbed the d20.    
  
“...10.”   
  
Stealing a glance from Olivia’s character sheet, Maxwell raised his brows and muttered, “So much for that +8 modifier…-- _ Eep! _ ”   
  
The glare he got shut him up rather quick.   
  
_ If a corgi could frown, Brufus would have frowned.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “I  _ **_was_ ** _ going to say that if you were successful in changing me back to my real body, I would make it worth your while. The professor I work under is a generous soul; a woman of many connections and, well, absurd amounts of wealth. But maybe  _ **_this_ ** _ one wouldn’t appreciate such help?” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “You said wealth?” Thannis asked, voice strained. Brufus responded in a noncommittal hum. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ With some hesitation, Thannis mumbled their version of an apology. “We’ll do it. I’m not... used to… talking to dog-things.” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Breaking their stern façade, Brufus spun in a circle, relief evident as their tail started to wag. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Oh, thankyouthankyouthankyou! Now, go! I’ll wait here.” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Won’t you be coming with, little guy?” Horam asked. Brufus shook his head. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Oh,  _ **_heavens_ ** _ no! I would get killed out there, it isn’t safe.” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Charity and Horam paled.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Will…  _ **_we_ ** _ be safe?” Charity asked, attempting to regain her confidence. She looked between the group and eyed each of the weapons she could see. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Brufus responded without hesitation, tail still wagging. “I have no doubt. You look like a formidable bunch.” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Before he shoo’d you off towards the forest, he told you of the encampment to look out for. He explained that he’s not sure an antidote is guaranteed to be there, but that was where he was transformed several nights ago. You know it’s about a day’s walk and you set off. _ _   
_   
_ On the way, you hear a peculiar noise. _   
  
“Can I roll Insight?” Liam asked, d20 already in-hand, “I want to see if we should be ready for an attack.” With a nod from Riley, Liam rolled.   
  
“7.”   
  
“You... think you’ve heard this sound before,” Riley explained. With a frown, Liam pored over his character sheet.   
  
“Lemme try,” Drake offered, holding out his hand for the die. “I’ll roll Perception… 9, ugh.”   
  
Riley smirked. “You  _ also _ think you’ve heard this sound before. Neither of you can really place it enough to be able to tell if you’re in danger.”   
  
“ _ I’ll _ do it.”   
  
With a confident roll and a furtive glance at her character sheet, Olivia proudly declared, “18, for Perception.”   
  
_ Thanks to Thannis’ good ear and navigation skills, you’re able to follow the sound. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “No danger - for now. Keep your eyes peeled,” Thannis warned, roughly tugging Charity’s sleeve as they walked. “You’re coming with me.” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Wha-!” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Upon stepping out from the brush, you came across a Gnome child off the path, crying. Appearing to be covered in dirt, the child held a mangled doll in one hand, which drooped into the grass. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Almost melting on the spot, Charity rushed up to the child. Crouching down, she placed a soothing hand on the child’s back.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Hey, hey there. It’s okay.”  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Thannis rolled their eyes, taking a reluctant step forward. They gratefully let Charity take the reins. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “What happened, little one? Are you hurt?” Charity cooed. The child stiffened, then shook his head.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Leaning closer to Charity, Thannis whispered, “This could be a trap.” With a darkening expression, Charity batted Thannis away.  _ _   
  
_ _ “Hush! He’s just a child,” she admonished, leaving Thannis to fall once more to silence. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “L-lost…” the boy choked out between sobs. “Lost my… m-mum…!” His shoulders quaked as he broke down again, roughly wiping his tear-streaked face. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Charity paused a moment, then dug in her pocket for something.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “You know what I do when I feel lost?” she asked, voice saccharine-sweet. The boy shook his head, daring for the first time to look her in the eye. He only found kindness there. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “I hold onto this.” Charity held out an ornate medallion, encrusted with a red gem in the center. Noticing the boy eyeing it with wide eyes, she wasted no time in placing it around his neck. It drooped low on his tiny body, almost touching the ground. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ As the boy held the medallion -- bigger than both of his hands -- Thannis motioned for the others to fan out. Spanky took it as an opportunity to stray the farthest, looking for the kid’s mother without re-upsetting him. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “You see, a long time ago,  _ **_my_ ** _ mother gave this to me. She made it herself.” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “What…? Really?” the boy asked, wonder in his eyes. Charity nodded. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “She was a jeweler. She’s been gone for many years now, but I still hold onto it whenever I need her strength. Now  _ **_you_ ** _ can draw from her strength, too.” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Speechless, the boy looked back down at the medallion, tears reforming in his eyes. Steeled with a look of determination, he grabbed it and took off into the forest.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Thank you, miss!” he called out, his form rapidly diminishing from view. Charity stood, watching him disappear with a serene smile. _ _   
_ _   
_ With the familiar ‘ _ clack _ ’ of a die hitting the table, Riley announced, “I need everyone to roll me Perception.”   
  
Everyone rolled a 14 or higher, except Maxwell, who got another natural 1. Riley chuckled.   
  
“Okay, Spanky was the farthest separated from the group; everyone noticed a shadowy figure running away from Spanky, in the opposite direction of where the boy ran. Everyone noticed except Spanky, who is completely oblivious.”   
  
“Are you  _ serious _ ?” Maxwell cried out. He sank back in his chair, palms of his hands rubbing his eyes.    
  
_ ”Uhh, might wanna check your pockets, friend,” came a worried Horam, studying Spanky for anything noticeably different. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Oblivious, Spanky merely watched the Gnome child run off with a wistful smile. “Why do you say that?” he muttered. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Just…” Horam looked back to the where the figure retreated, frowning at the fact that they lost the trail so quickly. “Nevermind.” _   
  
“Spanky lost 3 gold pieces.”   
  
“Aw, come  _ on _ !” Maxwell groaned, frustration lancing off of him as he took the pencil Liam handed him to mark his 15gp down to 12gp. “I got like, four or five different instruments, so I guess I’m glad those are still safe…” he reasoned, quickly finding peace with the situation.   
  
“I think we should scope the area, just to be sure there aren’t more pickpockets around,” Drake declared. Hana and Liam murmured their agreements.   
  
“Let’s just… look around, see if we’re safe, and get out of there.” Liam breathed out tension he was holding inside, wanting to err on the side of caution. Olivia chuckled, her face twisting into a smirk.   
  
“I warned you it was a trap.” Olivia’s sing-song smugness was rock-steady, causing Drake to cast her a warning look. Hana looked away, ashamed.

“I just… wanted to help…” she tried explaining, crestfallen. Seeing Hana’s genuine sadness, Maxwell perked up, seizing the opportunity to cheer her up.   
  
“Aww, don’t worry, Hana. We’ll all chip in with our remaining gold and get Charity some McDermott’s after this. Sound good?” _   
_ _   
_ His winning smile and double thumbs-up made Hana crack a smile, which then turned into laughter.    
  
“That… sounds good, yeah,” she struggled to get out between laughs. Maxwell retained the pose until Hana returned the thumbs-up, and she gave him a grateful smile.   
  
Sensing that the moment was over, Riley resumed narrating:   
_   
_ _ After you scoped out the remaining area and don’t find anyone, you headed back to the path, continuing onward. It’s a bit more of a walk ahead, and you needed a way to pass the time. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ With a grin, Spanky gleefully distributed instruments to the group; Charity got a lyre, Horam got a horn, Grunts got a drum, and Thannis got… nothing. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Adjusting the bagpipes -- intricately designed with a patchwork replica of Spanky’s face on the bag -- to set the blowpipe up to his mouth, Spanky called out, “Ready?! One! Two! And…!” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ The worst sound in the world blasted through the air, momentarily deafened the group and the woodland creatures in the surrounding 5km area. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Upon getting his hearing back, Grunts grabbed the bagpipes and wrenched the blowpipe out of Spanky’s mouth. He leaned in close and grabbed his collar, growling in Spanky’s ear: _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “I hate you. So,  _ **_so_ ** _ much.” _ _   
_ _   
_ “Can that count as my Song of Rest?” Maxwell asked with a grin. Riley frowned, grabbing his character sheet to look at the ability. She shook her head, then handed it back.   
  
“No - you need to be in the middle of a short rest for that.”   
  
“Aww, what about the next time we’re in a short rest?”   
  
“...If your party won’t wring your neck afterwards, that’s fine.”   
  
Drake raised his hands and made a neck-wringing motion at Maxwell, who answered by tossing one-half of an uneaten cookie at him.   
  
“Maxwell…” Drake warned. Maxwell sheepishly finger guns’d him, in response. _   
_ _   
_ _ You continued to travel, gradually regaining your hearing along the way. An hour or so passed, uneventfully. The path you’re on led you into a denser area of the forest, until it just about vanished completely. Looking around you, there’s nothing but trees and brush. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ A rustling noise came from behind you, while a Gnome armed with a crossbow stepped out from the brush ahead of you. With a gruff voice, he spoke: _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Who d’you think you are, trespassin’ on sacred ground? Threat’nin’ small chil’ren?!” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Horam stepped forward, hands raised in a placating gesture. “Whoa, whoa! We did no such thing! Who might you be?” He bowed deeply, but the Gnome didn’t appreciate the gesture. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ The Gnome raised his crossbow, taking aim. “ _ **_Nonnayer_ ** _ business, miserable Human! Tell me why I shouldn’t take yer tongue out as a prize, right here!” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Noticing the likelihood of escalation from the Gnome, Thannis dropped into a defensive stance, while Grunts edged to the side of the group to flank.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “That’s them, that’s them!” cried a familiar Gnome child, rushing up to the leader, ill-fitting medallion bouncing as he ran. He cried similarly to how he did before, pointing randomly to the group, landing on Thannis. “That’s the one who threatened me and almost stole my mum’s necklace!”  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Needing no further provocation, multiple similarly-armed Gnomes step out of the brush from all angles, some hanging from the tops of trees. You’re surrounded! _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Shut up, or fight for yer life!” _   
  
“Aaand  _ that’s _ where we’re going to leave off. Next time, we roll Initiative,” Riley declared, barely hiding a self-satisfied smirk. A mixture of ‘ _ what?! _ ’ and ‘ _ no! _ ’ and ‘ _ okay, whatever _ ’ filled the air as she began tearing down her set-up.    
  
Outraged, Maxwell decided to scour the last of the cookies from one of Hana’s tins and stuff them all in his mouth. He grumbled his dissent through a crumb-flying, unintelligible mumble. Riley snickered at the sight.   
  
“Sorry it was so short; we’d been doing one-shots for awhile and I wanted to see if I could attempt a slightly longer campaign.” _   
_ _   
_ Liam stood, placing a hand on Riley’s arm. “It was lovely, thank you.” She paused and locked eyes with him, both sharing an unspoken message of gratitude.   
  
“...I did it?” Hana spoke in a hushed tone. She glanced over at the others, appearing to be in relative shock since Riley announced the end of the session. “I got through my first time?”   
  
Drake stared. “Your first…  _ time _ ,” he deadpanned. Hana nodded, excitement plain on her face.    
  
“Yeah! Can you believe it?” Hana shot up from her seat, clapping once, then went about stuffing everything but the tins in her bag. “I’m actually glad we were able to end when we did - I have to head to rehearsal.”   
  
“Didn’t you just  _ come _ from a rehearsal?” Liam asked, mildly horrified at what Hana’s schedule must look like. She shook her head.   
  
“Just a studio class. Is it okay if the cookie tins stay here? Just until I can pick them up?” she asked, already making her way to the door. Maxwell and Liam glanced at each other, then shrugged.   
  
“No problem. Have fun at rehearsal.”   
  
The door clicked shut. Olivia rose, dusting off unwanted crumbs from her clothes.   
  
“Looks like it’s time to go do… anything else,” she remarked, as bored as she could muster, then strode towards the door. Liam called out to her before she was able to leave.   
  
“Olivia - same time next week?”   
  
A pause.   
  
“Yeah,” she spoke quietly, a ghost of a smile on her face as she left.   
  
As the four of them cleaned up -- Maxwell ended up making enough of a mess to warrant asking the floor’s RA for access to a vacuum -- they chatted happily about possible future plans for their party. Besides Riley’s personal notes, everything else was stowed away in Liam’s closet.    
  
The night went on and peace overtook them. Riley couldn’t believe her luck -- not just in securing the friend group that she had, but in having the opportunity to pull together a story for five, willing, friend-shaped guinea pigs. On top of that, securing the unlikely duo of Olivia and Hana helped send her joy to a fever pitch.    
  
Drake went back to his dorm, leaving Maxwell, Liam, and Riley to watch a movie in the common area in a cuddle-puddle. Maxwell commented on the excitement still radiating off of Riley.   
  
“Are you… are you  _ vibrating _ ?” he asked, grinning. Liam placed his hands on her shoulders to stop her.   
  
“Maxwell, you weren’t kidding,” Liam said, in faux-shock. “And here I thought I left my ringer on.”   
  
Riley shook her head, meeting Maxwell’s grin. “Guys, I’m just…”   
  
“What?”   
  
“... _ Happy _ .”    
  
“You  _ should _ be,” Liam said, laying his hand over Riley’s. “DMing isn’t an easy task; I think it’s great you’re stepping out of your comfort zone like this.”   
  
Laying back, Riley stared at the ceiling, thoroughly blissed out. The movie played on, but she was almost entirely unaware of it.   
  
“Well, I can’t take  _ all _ the credit. As far as motivation, I’ve got some pretty great friends.”   
  
They stayed snuggled together until they drifted off, falling hard into a peaceful, happy slumber.   



End file.
